Mary Ann Frost (1808-1891)
}} Marriage and Family Marriage to Parley P Pratt On May 14, 1837, Parley Parker Pratt (1807-1857) married his second wife, Mary Ann Frost Stearns (1808-1891), a widow with a daughter. The marriage was performed by Frederick G. Williams. Mary Ann was a native of Bethel, Maine (part of Massachusetts until 1820) whose first relative to join the church was Patty Bartlett Sessions, later a prominent midwife in Utah. Mary Ann was baptized by David W. Patten. She had come to Kirtland as a widow in 1836. Joseph Smith later condemned Latter Day Saints for "marrying in five or six weeks, or even in two or three months, after the death of their companion." Mary Ann and Pratt at times demonstrated a deep companionship in their marriage, most fully shown by her joining her husband in prison in Missouri. After Pratt began practicing plural marriage, they became estranged. In 1843, Mary Ann Pratt married Joseph Smith, the church's founder. That same year, Smith married at least 17 other women—including Mary Ann's sister, Olive Grey Frost. Olive would marry Smith's successor, Brigham Young, after Smith's death in 1844. Pratt made several attempt to get Mary Ann to join him in traveling west in 1846 and 1847, but after spending the winter of 1846–47 in an abandoned Nauvoo, she chose to return to Maine. Pratt provided her with clothes and money upon her return to Maine. She received some of the proceeds from the sale of Pratt's home to a Roman Catholic priest; his Nauvoo home is to this day used as a residence for Catholic priests. In 1852, Mary Ann came to Utah Territory, but she and Pratt did not see eye to eye on how to raise their children. Mary Ann received a divorce decree issued by Brigham Young in 1853. Mary Ann then settled in what is now Pleasant Grove, Utah. Mary Ann would work as a midwife, remain in the LDS Church and be a leading advocate for Mormon women against the attacks of those opposed to polygamy. See had one child with her former husband, Nathan Sterns (1809-1833) - a daughter. After his death. Mary Ann and her daughter became a family with Parley who had one young son from his first marriage.Children of Mary Ann Frost and Nathan Stearns are: # Mary Ann Stearns (1833-1912) - md to Winters. b. 06 Apr 1833, Bethel, Oxford, Maine, d. 04 Apr 1912, Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah. Children of Mary Ann Frost and Parley Parker Pratt are: # Nathan Pratt (1838-1843) - b. 31 Aug 1838, Far West, Caldwell, Missouri, d. 12 Dec 1843, Nauvoo, Hancock, Illinois. # Olivia Thankful Pratt (1841-1906) - b. 02 Jun 1841, Manchester, Linconshire, England, d. 12 Jun 1906, Pleasant Grove, Utah, Utah. Her birthdate indicates that Mary Ann had joined Parley on his famous 1840 mission to England. # Susan Pratt (1843-1844) - b. 07 Apr 1843, Steamer, "Maid of Iowa", Mississippi Riv., d. 28 Aug 1844, Nauvoo, Hancock, Illinois. # Moroni Llewellyn Pratt (1844-1913) - b. 07 Dec 1844, Nauvoo, Hancock, IL, d. 18 Apr 1913, Provo, Utah County, UT. * See also History of Mary Ann Frost - Jared Pratt Family Association. * See also History of Mary Ann Frost - Driggs Family Association. Research Notes Joseph Smith Mary Ann is frequently included on the lists of plural wives of the Mormon Prophet Joseph Smith (1805-1844), but her documentary history strongly hints against this. Her sister, Olive Grey Frost (1816-1846), was a plural wife to both Joseph Smith and Brigham Young (1801-1877). References * - Wikipedia * * Mary Ann Frost History - Jared Pratt Family Association * Olive G Frost - JosephSmithPolygamy.org __SHOWFACTBOX__